SHOCKING LEVELS OF SALT HIDDEN IN YOUR CURRY NIGHT, NEW RESEARCH REVEALS

FACT: A bought curry with all the extras (Rice, Naan, Sag Aloo, Poppadom and Chutney) could provide over 20.5g of salt, the equivalent of over THREE times your maximum recommended intake of 6g a day [Table 1]

29.04.10. The new research from CASH surveyed 784 products in the largest survey of its kind in the UK, across supermarket shelves, independent shops and takeaway restaurants. The survey reveals very high levels of salt hidden in bought Indian & South Asian cuisine including; takeaways, ready meals, cooking sauces, chutneys, pickles and side dishes.

Curry dishes frequently top the poll as the UK’s favourite meals, but these findings highlight that the nation is blindly consuming dangerous levels of salt. As well as main curry dishes being high in salt; you can more than DOUBLE your salt intake with extras such as chutney and Naan bread. The lack of clear labelling on the packaging, combined with the spicy ingredients masking the salty flavour, makes it very hard for people to know how much salt they are eating.

Many of these ready meals contain extremely high levels of salt. For example, within Iceland’s new Balti range, currently advertised on television, the frozen Chicken Tikka Balti contains a massive 7.2g* salt per 450g pack [Ref 1]. This is more than the daily salt maximum of 6g a day, equivalent to over a teaspoon of salt, without any rice, side dishes or chutney. If you do need a quick meal solution, ready meals don’t need to be totally ruled out. Similar products can vary hugely in their salt content; for instance the Sainsbury’s Be Good To Yourself Chicken Korma with Pilau Rice contains only 0.91g salt per portion, nearly 5 times less salt than the frozen Kan Pur Garden Chicken Korma with Pilau Rice (from Lidl) at 4.50g salt per portion.

Takeaways are thought of as a convenient option, however CASH found large variations in the salt content of the same curries from different restaurants in London’s famous curry street Brick Lane. CASH found the lowest takeaway to be a Vegetable Korma (1.37g per portion) and the highest a Chicken Tikka Masala (6.81g per portion), so a simple swap could cut your salt intake by up to 4 times in the main meal alone.

Cooking sauces were generally found to be lower in salt, for example The Co- operative’s Healthy Living Rogan Josh Cook In Sauce and Weightwatcher’s Korma, both contained just 0.5g per portion. However one Waitrose product, the Half Fat Jalfrezi Cooking Sauce, contains nearly five times more, at 2.49g per portion.

Over half (29 out of 52) of the pickles and chutneys sampled were, weight for weight, saltier than Atlantic seawater [Ref 2]. By swapping salt laden pickles, such as a 30g spoonful of Priya’s Lime Pickle, which at 5.8g salt per 30g portion is over 7 times the salt concentration of the sea, for more healthy accompaniments such as Tesco Cucumber & Mint Raita or The Cooperative’s Mango Chutney (both 0.2g salt per portion), you can help reduce salt intake by nearly 6 grams.

Naan bread and poppadoms are often consumed with these meals, the Marks and Spencer’s Garlic and Coriander Naan bread contains 3.2g salt per portion – over half your daily maximum. The highest salt poppadom (Pataks Plain mini Pappadums) contains 1.1g salt per portion, more than two packets of crisps [Ref 2].

“It is the very high levels of unnecessary salt that are added to our food that puts up our blood pressure and leads to thousands of people needlessly dying of strokes, heart attacks and heart failures every year” says Professor MacGregor, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Chairman of CASH. “The shockingly high levels of salt in many of these products mean that many people in the UK are consuming huge amounts of salt when they enjoy a curry. We urge all these manufacturers and providers to reduce their salt content immediately.”

“A regular ’Curry Night’ is becoming a British institution, making these high salt levels extremely worrying” says CASH Campaign Manager & Nutritionist Katharine Jenner. “This survey shows salt can be hidden behind all the spices and chilli in your curry, even in side dishes and sauces. Add to this the lack of clear labelling on packaging and in takeaway restaurants, and it makes it very hard for consumers to choose a healthy option.”

Hannah Brinsden, who carried out the research for CASH, said “The best thing you can do is make your own curry at home and just not add salt or salty spices. The British Heart Foundation has a South Asian recipe book (which can be ordered free of charge) containing a number of low salt curry recipes. Alternatively, by choosing the lower salt options from our tables, a full Indian meal can contain less than 2g salt [Table 2]. Visit www.actiononsalt.org.uk for more information”

Policy manager at the British Heart Foundation, Mubeen Bhutta, said: “The level of salt in some of these curries is frankly outrageous, but it’s often tucked away behind unhelpful food labels where it’s difficult to spot. Food manufacturers should give shoppers the whole truth about what they are putting in their baskets. We believe that universal front-of pack label, including traffic light colours, the words ‘high’, ‘medium’ and ‘low’ and guideline daily amounts, are key to helping people easily understand what’s in the food and drink they take to the tills.”

ENDS

Go to www.actiononsalt.org.uk for more information, or contact:  Professor Graham MacGregor on: 020 7882 6217 or 07946 405617, [email protected]  Katharine Jenner, Campaign Manager and Nutritionist on: 020 7882 6018/5941 or 07740 553298, [email protected]  Amy Thorne on 0207 221 5040 / 07525 486100 or email amy@taste- pr.com/ [email protected]

Notes to Editors and References: *[Ref 1] Iceland’s in store, telephone and online customer services confirm the 450g product is one portion, this is also depicted in the television advert: http://www.visit4info.com/advert/2- for-Brilliant-Balti-Iceland-Frozen-Food-Centres/83538/1

[Ref 2] A standard 34.5g packet of Walkers Ready Salted crisps contains 0.5g of salt

[Ref 3] Atlantic seawater contains 1.0g of sodium per 100g, which equates to 2.5g of salt per 100g.

 The survey of 784 South Asian products includes: takeaways, ready meals, cooking sauces, chutneys, pickles, spices and spice mixes, and main side dishes. Starters e.g. onion bhajis were excluded.  Product data was collected from packaging and online from all ranges in supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose (Ocado), Morrison’s, Marks & Spencer, Lidl, Iceland and The Cooperative / Somerfield.  Products were also collected from independent South Asian shops; and takeaways selected at random from London’s Brick Lane; City Spice, Dawaat, Nazrul, Bengal Village, Masala Brick Lane and Spice Brick Lane were analysed for sodium by Kent Scientific Services.  The survey was conducted between March and April 2010. All products mentioned in this release were re-checked on 19th-26th April in store or by direct communication with the manufacturer. Photos available on request. Data Tables: Table 1 – Highest Salt Meal Highest Meal Example Salt content Iceland Chicken Tikka Balti (frozen) 7.2g/450g pack*

Tesco Basmati Rice (fresh) 1.4g/270g portion

Veetee Saag Aloo 1.88g/150g portion

Marks & Spencer Garlic & Coriander Naan (fresh) 3.2g/one Naan

Pataks Plain Mini Poppudum 1.1g/25g portion

Priya Lime Pickle 5.8g/30g portion

Total Salt – 20.58g*

Table 2 – Lowest Comparison Salt Meal Lowest Meal Example Salt content Birds Eye Chicken Curry & Rice (frozen) 0.5g/400g

Sainsbury's Indian Aloo Saag (fresh) 0.45g/150g portion

Marks & Spencer 2 Large Plain Naan Breads 0.37g/half naan

ASDA 8 Plain Poppudum 0.2g/poppudum

The Cooperative Mango Chutney 0.2g/15g serving

Total Salt – 1.72g

Main Meals Salt content of Iceland Balti range

* NB Iceland claim the labelling on the packaging is incorrect, the figures in this press release have been changed to match correct levels of salt rather than what is stated on pack (highest product first) Category Product Name Pack Portion Size Salt Salt per Size (g) (g) per portion 100g Meal Centre (frozen) Iceland Chicken Tikka Balti 450 450 1.6 7.2 Meal Centre (frozen) Iceland Beef Kofka Balti 450 450 1.3 5.9

Meal Centre (frozen) Iceland Prawn & Spinach 450 450 1.2 5.4 Balti Meal Centre (frozen) Iceland Beef Balti 450 450 1.1 5.0

Meal Centre (frozen) Iceland Vegetable Balti 450 450 1.0 4.5

Meal Centre (frozen) Iceland Lamb Balti 450 450 1.0 4.5

Rice (Frozen) Iceland Balti Pilau Rice 350 175 0.6 1.0 Rice (Frozen) Iceland Spicy Balti Rice 350 175 0.5 1.3

Highest salt ready meals, per portion (highest product first) Pack Portion Salt Salt per Category Product Name Size Size per portion (g) (g) 100g Ready Meal (frozen) Kan Pur Garden Chicken Korma with Pilau Rice 550 550 0.82 4.50 Ready Meal (fresh) Tesco Prawn Masala & Pilau Rice 500 500 0.9 4.4 Ready Meal (frozen) Kan Pur Garden Chicken Jalfrezi with Pilau Rice 550 550 0.76 4.22 Ready Meal (frozen) Kan Pur Garden Chicken Balti with Pilau Rice 550 550 0.74 4.08 Kan Pur Garden Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilau Ready Meal (frozen) rice 550 550 0.71 3.91

Highest salt cooking sauces (incl. pastes), per portion (highest product first) Pack Portion Salt Salt per Category Product Name Size Size per portion (g) (g) 100g Cook in Sauces Waitrose Half Fat Jalfrezi Cooking Sauce 350 175 1.425 2.49 The Cooperative Reduced Fat Tikka Masala Cook In 2.3 Cook in Sauces Sauce 450 225 1.0 Cook in Sauces Waitrose Tikka Cooking Sauce 350 175 1.15 2.0 Thick Paste Pataks Tandoori Paste 312 35 5.65 2 Cook in Sauces Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Tikka Masala 350 175 1.08 1.88

Highest salt takeaways (highest product first) Outlet Product Name Pack Portion Salt Salt per Size (g) Size (g) per portion 100g Dawaat Chicken Tikka Masala 500.81 500.81 1.36 6.81 Dawaat Lamb Rogan Josh 517.09 517.09 1.10 5.69 Nazrul Chicken Balti 419.45 419.45 1.3 5.6 Nazrul Lamb Rogan Josh 536.49 536.49 1.0 5.4 Bengal Village Chicken Balti 453.07 453.07 1.19 5.39

Lowest salt main meals

(lowest product first) Category Product Name Pack Portion Salt Salt per Size Size (g) per portion (g) 100g Ready Meals Sainsbury's Be Good To Yourself Vegetable Curry 400 400 0.12 0.46 (fresh) with Rice Ready meals Birds Eye Chicken Curry with Rice 350 350 0.1 0.5 (frozen) Cook in Sauces The Cooperative Healthy Living Rogan Josh Cook 450 225 0.2 0.5 in Sauce Cook in Sauces Weight Watchers Korma 350 175 0.28 0.5

Cook in Sauces ASDA Good For You Tikka Masala 570 143 0.4 0.57

Cook in Sauces ASDA Good For You Korma 570 143 0.4 0.57 Cook in Sauces ASDA Good For You Bhuna 570 143 0.4 0.57 Cook in Sauces Weight Watchers Tikka Masala Sauce 350 175 0.3 0.6

Meal Centre (fresh) Waitrose Chicken Vindaloo 400 200 0.325 0.65 Meal Centre (fresh) Waitrose Lamb Rogan Josh 350 175 0.38 0.65

Accompaniments and Side Dishes Highest Salt Accompaniments per portion incl sides, breads, rice and chutneys/pickles, excl. takeaways (highest product first)

Product Name Pack Size Portion Size Salt Salt per (g) (g) per portion 100g Priya Lime Pickle 300 30 19.3 5.8

Priya Mango Pickle 300 30 15.8 4.75

Marks & Spencer Garlic and Coriander Naan x 2 300 150 2.13 3.2

Waitrose 2 Garlic & Coriander Naan Breads 300 150 1.75 2.63

Waitrose 2 Fresh Tandoori Naan Breads 300 150 1.73 2.63 Marks & Spencer 2 Peshawari Naan 300 150 1.58 2.37

Veetee Sag Aloo 300 150 1.250 1.88

Morrison's 2 Naan Breads - Plain Not Provided 1/2 Naan 2.8 1.8 Tesco Free From 2 Garlic and Coriander Naans 180 90 1.6 1.5

Marks & Spencer 2 Tandoori Naan 300 150 1.15 1.73

Lowest Salt Accompaniments per portion incl sides, breads, rice and chutneys/pickles, excl. takeaways (lowest product first)

Product Name Pack Size Portion Size Salt Salt per (g) (g) per portion 100g Weight Watchers 4 Mini Plain Naan breads Not Provided 1 Naan 0.5 0.2

The Cooperative Mango Chutney 335 15g 1.4 0.2 Tesco Cucumber & Mint Raita 195 15g 1.3 0.2

Weight Watchers 4 Mini Garlic and Coriander Naans Not Provided 1 Naan 0.5 0.2 Breads ASDA Mango Chutney 240 10g 2.18 0.2

ASDA 8 Plain Poppudum Not Provided I poppadom 2.0 0.2

ASDA 8 Spicy Poppadoms Not Provided I poppadom 2.1 0.2

Pataks Superior Cool Mint Raita 190 20 1.08 0.225

Uncle Bens Microwaveable Basmati Rice 250 125 0.20 0.25

Waitrose Mango Chutney 350 20 0.4 0.25